Valley
Maoist ministers fail to impress party colleagues
Serious dissatisfaction has emerged inside the ruling UCPN (Maoist) over the conduct and performances of its ministers in the CPN-UML-led coalition government.Serious dissatisfaction has emerged inside the ruling UCPN (Maoist) over the conduct and performances of its ministers in the CPN-UML-led coalition government.
Party leaders criticised their ministers’ failure to perform their tasks effectively and to work in office as per the party policy. Following voices of dissatisfaction from the party rank and file, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal organised a meeting of the ministers on Saturday.
In the meeting held at Dahal’s residence in Lazimpat, leaders alleged that the ministers were promoting nepotism. They presented the case of the selection of delegation members from the party for a China visit.
Home Minister Shakti Basnet had picked his daughter and granddaughter of Chairman Dahal in a delegation that was supposed to be represented by the earthquake-displaced people.
During a programme at Reporter’s Club, Basnet defended his choice of visiting members saying that they were involved in rescue operations in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Soon after joining the government, the party formulated a code of conduct for ministers while a team was formed under Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha to monitor their work.
However, the ministers have flouted the code that bars them from appointing their relatives in their secretariats and going on foreign junkets. The directive also wants party ministers to draw up pro-people policies but, leaders said, that has not been followed.
In the meeting, Shrestha said he cannot lead the committee as the conduct
and working style of ministers had shamed him. He warned of resigning from the committee.
“The meeting concluded that our ministers are not performing their duties as per the people’s expectations,” said Shrestha. Dahal reportedly pledged at the meeting to study the performance of the party ministers.